Olga Bedrina — January 30, 2017 Follow @animatron
Hubspot posted some recent statistics and predictions that should get small business marketers excited about using videos for small business marketing. For instance, videos will account for almost three-quarters of internet use in 2017. By 2019, video traffic will increase to about 80 percent of all internet traffic. This is certainly the right time for smaller companies to gain a competitive edge by concentrating on video making and video marketing ideas. Otherwise, they might find themselves losing customers to companies that do invest in videos.
Five Cost-Effective Video Marketing Ideas for SMBs
Most small business tips advise owners and managers to focus on their business goals. If your goals include growth, brand recognition, customer loyalty, and better customer service, consider these ideas for the kinds of videos that can help:
1. Social Videos
Social videos give you a way to virally promote your brand, generate leads, and increase sales. Since these videos face competition from other social posts, they need to contain excellent content and have a compelling theme and title. On the positive side, social videos can be fairly short if the main goal is to draw viewers in to gain more information elsewhere.
For instance, many social videos are meant to interest viewers enough to visit a business site or fill out a lead form. Punchy and focused videos that only last a couple of minutes can work very well.
2. Explainer Videos
Today, all sorts of products and services have grown more complex. Small businesses can use explainer videos to help people understand their own offerings and why people should consider them. Even more, this kind of content can help viewers understand why the offerings from your company are preferable to those from a competitor.
Since these kinds of videos can also help answer frequent questions from existing customers, they may provide an affordable and automatic way to improve customer service. Satisfied customers tend to be loyal customers, and this helps improve profits without having to advertise more.
3. Tutorial Videos
Would your customers enjoy your products more and be more likely to buy them if they had some help learning about different ways to use them? Recently, companies have found that holding workshops can help them increase sales and improve brand recognition. Since it’s not possible for small companies to hold workshops for all of their customers, a tutorial video can give your company an online alternative.
In addition, an educational video can help build your credibility and set you apart as an expert in your field. When consumers recognize your brand as a solid source of information, they are more likely to buy from you and even pay more to do so. Like explainer videos, tutorials can also help improve customer service by answering frequent questions from customers.
4. Demo Videos
If you plan to sell cars, software, or even kitchen gadgets, you might know that your products can actually sell themselves – if people just got a chance to see them in action. A demo video can show potential customers a vehicle’s features, how easy your software is to use, or why a new kitchen appliance should replace a less efficient one. Most business owners are happy to demonstrate their products, but they can’t afford to do this for every customer.
Rather than having to demo products to each individual customer, a video can work 24/7 to show off products. Instead of just telling people how great your offerings are, you can show them.
5. About Us Videos
These days, consumers like to make personal connections with the people who run companies that they do business with. Small business owners probably don’t have the time or resources to personally introduce themselves to every customer; however, they can create videos for an About Us page that can function as the next best thing.
These videos can introduce the company, showcase products, and best of all, allow the company’s top brass and employees to introduce themselves. When people can associate a brand with names and faces, they are more likely to remember it.
Is Video Making Too Expensive for Small Businesses?
In any competitive industry, companies that don’t make videos could be making an expensive mistake. Remember that this is the form of content that is most commonly consumed online. Offering information about a company in a form that consumers prefer is rarely a bad idea.
Still, It is important for most smaller companies to conserve resources and focus their efforts on the kinds of content that really help support their business goals. That’s why these five kinds of marketing videos are good ones to consider. They can help improve brand recognition, enhance customer service, and help keep customers loyal. In the end, all of these benefits can offer small businesses an affordable way to grow and profit.
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